The cultural district of Asakusa in Tokyo is packed with tourists from all over the world on any given day of the year. They typically pose for photographs in front of Kaminarimon, the outer entrance gate that leads to Nakamise shopping street and, ultimately, the oldest temple in the capital, Sensoji.

Once tourists have filled the memory cards on their cameras with images of the temple and the surrounding area, they will invariably jam themselves into the myriad eatries located near the station for a bite to eat. Many of these restaurants, however, are unable to cater to specific dietary needs and Muslim visitors, in particular, can have trouble finding a place that features dishes that are permissible under Islamic law.

Aware of this situation, Endy Harmoko had already come up with a plan when he chauffeured his visiting Indonesian family around the sightseeing spots of Asakusa on a cold winter's day in February. Harmoko, a graduate student from Indonesia who has been living in Japan for a year to study economics at Yokohama National University, led his family to a halal-certified ramen shop called Naritaya, located just a short walk from the temple. There, the family ordered bowls of piping hot noodles and a plate of karaage fried chicken.